The leading cause of death among teens in the United States is motor vehicle collisions. According to National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHSTA), a young driver in the U.S. is involved in a fatal crash every two hours. Annually, 5,000 teens die in car crashes and another 400,000 suffer serious injuries.

The overwhelming majority of teen car accidents are due to driver distractions. These behaviors claimed the lives of more than seven teenagers, ages 16-19, per day in 2010. School Safety Specialist Gary Tait is working to prepare area high school teens for the responsibilities that come with a driver’s license. “I believe many teens are mimicking their parents’ behavior,” Tait said, “parents need to model responsible behavior and put down the cell phone while driving.”

The goal of National Teen Driver Safety Week is to improve safety – both for teens behind the wheel and the motorists with whom they share the road. At Jim Dodson Law, we believe this will take parents, teen drivers, educators and lawmakers each working together to reduce risky teen driving behaviors and save lives. “I don’t think most kids know that something so common as texting while driving is far more dangerous than drunk driving. Getting this message out is a step toward changing behaviors and helping teens understand the consequences of their actions,” Jim Dodson said.

Gary Tait and a representative from Jim Dodson Law will visit Largo High School this week to speak with students about safe driving practices with the hopes of empowering them to make good decisions behind the wheel.